Stay With Me
by Of-Ravens-And-Writing-Desks
Summary: "Stay. I want her to stay. So why can't she? I'm the lord of all time, the oncoming storm. I can certainly manage keeping one human girl around!" The Doctor argues with himself while Amy slumbers away. One-shot. COMPLETE


A/N: Disclaimer: Sadly Dr. Who doesn't belong to me

Done for fanfic 100 prompt #86; Choices

11/Amy. A little something I whipped up because I've been fan-girling lately. This is in my own private little universe where Rory doesn't exist. Sorry Amy/Rory shippers, but that's just how it is.

* * *

><p><em>Shouldn't.<em>

_Wouldn't._

_Couldn't._

_Yes? _

_No. _

_But…_

_No. Just, no._

These thoughts raced through the Doctor's head as he ran his thumb over her knuckles. _Her_ knuckles. The girl with the fairy-tale name. The girl who waited. He chanced a glance down at the fiery ginger slouched against his side. She was still asleep, her eyelashes brushing her freckle-dusted cheeks in the most delicious way.

"Amelia Pond. Am-ee-lee-a Pond. Amy." He whispered, allowing himself a small smile. He rather liked the feeling of her warm little body curled up beside him. He reached over to brush a stray strand of hair off of her face, then froze at her sharp intake of breath. He didn't move again until her breathing struck up its regular pattern. He mentally kicked himself.

"NO," he told himself again, striking his forehead with the heel of his hand. "No, no, no, no. This is not good. This is most definitely very not good. NO." He looked around him for some means of escape.

They were seated on one of the couches littering the TARDIS' main control room. It had been a long day, resulting in the destruction of no less than four buildings, two governments, and one much-beloved bow tie. He and Amy had stumbled back to the TARDIS, exhausted, and both collapsed on to the nearest couch. Now, hours later, Amy was still sound asleep, and the Doctor was faced with the trying job of getting up without waking her.

He was just trying to push a lever on the console by stretching out his leg as far as it would go when Amy sighed and rolled over, her head landing promptly in his lap.

The Doctor froze every muscle in his body, his eyes growing wide. Of course. Of_ course_ that would happen. He sighed and settled in; resigning to the fact that he was stuck on the couch for the time being.

He counted the circles on the walls.

He counted the tiles on the floor.

He tried to count the various buttons, levers, and knobs on the console, but quickly abandoned the task as impossible.

He finally sighed and looked down at the woman slumbering away on his lap.

She looked like she had been to hell and back, her hair tangled and her makeup smeared. He noticed for the first time a tiny scratch on her cheek, a small bruise on her collarbone. The little sacrifices she made for her Raggedy Doctor.

_No, not for you. She makes sacrifices with you. With you for others. Never just for you. You're flattering yourself, old man…_

Despite her various "battle scars," she had a slight smile playing about her lips, her expression serene.

"What are you dreaming of, Pond?" he whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

In response, she sighed again and snuggled closer.

The time lord smiled, running his thumb over her clenched fist again. They had all eternity. He could wait a bit to move.

He had sat there for quite a while, holding her hand, when the thoughts he had been so trying to avoid came again unbidden.

_Shouldn't._

_Wouldn't._

_Couldn't._

_Stay. I want her to stay. So why can't she? I'm the lord of all time, the oncoming storm. I can certainly manage keeping one human girl around!_

_But you can't do that to her! That's ripping her away from her family, her friends, all that her life was supposed to be!_

_This is her life now! I've shown her the universe, taken her places that no one has been before!_

_And how many times has her life been in danger because of you? Take her back to Leadworth, where she'll be safe. Isn't that what you want? Her to be safe?_

_The real question is, what does she want?_

"What do you want, Pond?" he breathed.

"Mmm… I don't know, maybe some fish custard? With bacon?" The Doctor jumped up in surprise, unceremoniously dumping the now-awake Amy onto the floor of the control room.

"Pond! I thought you'd never wake up! The snoring was slowly demolishing my delicate eardrums." He shot her a grin and sauntered over to the control panel, hiding his embarrassment by pushing as many buttons as he could reach.

"Good morning to you, too," she said, yawning. "How long have I been out?"

The Doctor considered for a moment. "Three hours, eleven minutes, and forty-two seconds."

She raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. His quirks would forever remain a mystery to her.

The events of the day were slowly coming back to her as she shook the grogginess from her mind. "That was a disaster."

He turned to look at her. She had plopped back on the couch, her hair wildly tangled and sweater askew. He suppressed a chuckle at her disheveled state. "If you mean your hair, I heartily agree."

She threw a pillow at him.

He threw it back.

Of course, this caused a full-scale pillow war to break out, resulting in the two of them lying on the floor, covered in feathers, laughing until their sides ached and tears streamed down their faces. Eventually, the laughter died out, and they just laid there in companionable silence, waiting for the other to be the first to say something.

"Doct-" Amy began at the same time as he said "Amy-", making them both laugh.

"You go first," she said, rolling onto her side so she was facing him.

"I've been thinking,"

"Yeah?"

"Is… is this what you really want?"

Amy sat up, bringing her knees up to her chin. "What?"

"This," he sat up as well, and gestured grandly around the room. "Is this what you want?"

"What brought all this on?"

"I-" he stopped, trying to find the right words. "I was just wondering if you would be happier in Leadworth. You know, with people."

She started laughing.

That was not the reaction he was planning on.

"Leadworth?" Amy finally spat out between chuckles. "You were wondering if I would be happier in Leadworth?" This lead to another bout of giggling.

The Doctor did his best to look offended. "No need to get cheeky about it."

With a smile still on her face, she shifted until she was sitting nose-to nose with him. "Doctor, Leadworth is the most painfully boring place on the face of the planet. I don't want to go back, and I never will, yeah?" She placed her hands on either side of his face and placed a kiss on his forehead. "So quit your worrying." She shot him a wide grin and stood, clapping her hands together. "Well." She started, offering him her hand, "Where to next?"

The Doctor, still slightly shell shocked from the kiss, grabbed her hand. "Well, there's this lovely moon where…"

"Don't tell me," Amy interrupted. "I want it to be a surprise."

A smile lit up the Doctor's face as he grabbed the controls. "Alright then! Here we go!"

The TARDIS lurched and they were off.

* * *

><p>AN: Just a one shot, or more accurately, about four drabbles half-hazardly smushed together. Why? Because pillow fights are cool.

-ORAWD


End file.
